County may use furlough days

Matt Cooper

Tuesday

Jun 21, 2011 at 12:01 AM

Lane County has issued notice to its seven unions of its intent to pursue unpaid furloughs, part of an effort to save $7 million in a budget for the coming year that the Board of Commissioners could approve Wednesday.

Questions around state and federal funding — and the county’s ability to find savings — mean that jail beds and other services also could be cut in the coming year, officials said.

“There’s definitely a lot in play and Wednesday’s going to be a very interesting morning,” said Jay Bozievich, the West Lane commissioner.

Faced with rising costs and falling revenue, the board must bridge a nearly $8 million gap, which is about 7 percent of the general fund.

The recommendation from the 10-member budget committee — which includes the five commissioners and their appointees — is to save $4 million by cutting about 50 positions. Those would come largely through layoffs in the sheriff’s office, district attorney’s office, assessment and taxation, elections and other departments.

The commissioners hope to find the rest by freezing wages and cutting benefits.

But cutting compensation to union-represented employees would require renegotiating contracts with most of the county’s unions, a near impossibility before the July 1 deadline to present a balanced budget to the state.

Bozievich said he’s encouraged by the willingness of the unions to consider concessions but that in the meantime, employees might be required to start taking unpaid days off as soon as August.

“I’d say the chances are good at this point that we’ll see a furlough day or two,” Bozievich said. “I think the furloughs will be limited.”

County officials considered furloughs during a budget crisis two years ago but decided the move wouldn’t produce enough savings.

It was unclear Monday how many furlough days could be required in the coming year and how many employees would be affected.

Furloughs don’t save money in the sheriff’s office because the need for public safety coverage could require deputies to work overtime to cover for others who are taking unpaid days off, Bozievich said.

County Administrator Liane Richardson said in an e-mail that department heads are in the process of informing their staffs that furloughs are under consideration.

“The board has authorized us to keep moving forward with furlough planning in case we are not successful in achieving savings through benefit negotiations,” Richardson said in her e-mail. “We’ve issued notices to the seven unions so that we could begin discussions with them.”

Richardson said the county has had “good conversations” with the unions but that it takes time to seek the reductions in personnel costs that the county wants.

Jim Steiner, council representative for Oregon AFSCME, the county’s largest union, said Richardson has sent employees an e-mail identifying as many as 15 furlough days per employee.

Steiner said it would be acceptable to discuss furloughs during ongoing contract talks between AFSCME and the county, but the county has not made a formal proposal.

He cautioned that the union would fight any implementation of furloughs that occur without the union’s consent.

Richardson also hopes to curb health insurance costs.

But AFSCME members have sought to protect that benefit over the years, even over wage increases, and Steiner said the benefit is once again the membership’s top priority.

Commissioner Pete Sorenson said the board has not set “a good example” by trying to cut employee costs while approving a long-term contract for Richardson.

The contract, which Sorenson opposed, includes a salary of $149,500 and a one-time payment of $15,000 at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Facing uncertain funding from the state, the board also might reduce personnel costs at the Lane County Jail by closing as many as 69 inmate beds.

That’s nearly the number that a previous board reopened two years ago following a public outcry, but it could be necessary if the county doesn’t achieve enough savings in the use of contractors for food and medical services at the jail, Bozievich said.

There also is growing skepticism that the county can legally increase to $3 million a transfer from the county road fund to pay for sheriff’s patrols, up from about $1 million, Bozievich said.

Bozievich said he has decided against seeking a $200,000 cut to the animal shelter that would have been used to help fund assistant district attorneys.

Health and Human Services, which oversees the shelter, will make the cut elsewhere and will discuss the shelter’s future with the city of Eugene and other partners in the coming year, he said.

“I understand how emotional the whole animal control (issue) is for a lot of people,” Bozievich said.

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